Pennsylvania court upends mandatory use of life-without-parole for second-degree murder

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s high court on Thursday overturned the use of automatic life sentences without parole for people convicted of second-degree murder, saying it violates the state’s constitutional ban on cruel punishment when imposed without a closer look at the defendant’s specific role and culpability. The court majority ordered resentencing in the case of … Read more

Trump’s takeover of the GOP upends Texas Senate race

MAGNOLIA, Texas — Unlike many of the Texans packed into the Angry Elephant last week, Phillip Mori wasn’t completely sold on Senate candidate and state Attorney General Ken Paxton. Mori, a 64-year-old mortgage banker and ardent supporter of President Donald Trump, came to the Republican-themed bar hoping to hear Paxton talk about how he would … Read more